Ridicule for new rules on lost railway tickets_美文

Ridicule for new rules on lost railway tickets

The railway authority has said that passengers who mislaid train tickets will soon be allowed to reclaim booked seats for free, but bloggers ridiculed it as the "most complicated procedure ever".

The Ministry of Railways said on Wednesday that, beginning on May 10, people who have lost train tickets can go to the ticket office no less than 20 minutes before ticket checking stops, show identification and some ticket information, and get replacement tickets for their booked seats.

However, they must pay for the replacement tickets and then get a refund at the destination station within 24 hours of arrival, the ministry said.

In addition, they must notify the train conductor when boarding and must get a document from the conductor to prove that their seat is being "used normally".

"Otherwise, some people could take advantage of the policy. Two people could get on board a train with one ticket that they bought and a reissued replacement ticket," said a railway official, who requested anonymity.

A replacement ticket will cost 2 yuan (32 cents).

The measure came after the public called for improvements to the railway network's real-name ticketing system.

The system, which took effect on all trains at the beginning of the year, was adopted to curb the ticket- scalping that typically thrives during the Lunar New Year travel rush.